Buffalo in the Mountains: Mapping Evidence of Historical Bison Prescence and Bison Hunting in Glacier National Park
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2021 Buffalo in the Mountains: Mapping Evidence of Historical Bison Prescence and Bison Hunting in Glacier National Park Kyle Langley University of Montana, Missoula Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Part of the Animal Studies Commons, Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Folklore Commons, Other Anthropology Commons, and the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Langley, Kyle, "Buffalo in the Mountains: Mapping Evidence of Historical Bison Prescence and Bison Hunting in Glacier National Park" (2021). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 11743. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11743 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BUFFALO IN THE MOUNTAINS: MAPPING EVIDENCE OF HISTORICAL BISON PRESCENCE AND BISON HUNTING IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK By KYLE STUART LANGLEY B.A. in History and Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 2011 Thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Anthropology, Cultural Heritage Option The University of Montana Missoula, MT April 2021 Approved by: Scott Whittenburg, Dean of The Graduate School Graduate School Dr. Kelly Dixon, Chair Anthropology Dr. Greg Campbell Anthropology Dr. Jedediah Brodie Biological Sciences & Wildlife Biology Aaron Brien, M.A. Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Crow Nation ii Langley, Kyle, M.A., Spring 2021 Anthropology Buffalo in the Mountains: Mapping Evidence of Historical Bison Presence and Bison Hunting in Glacier National Park Chairperson or Co-Chairperson: Dr. Kelly Dixon This study explores 10,000+ years of bison presence and bison hunting within Glacier National Park. Despite significant faunal evidence of bison presence in the area, few people today associate bison with Glacier National Park. Previous archaeological studies have found bison faunal remains and evidence of bison hunting throughout the eastern half of the park going back thousands of years. Furthermore, local tribes such as the Kootenai and Blackfeet maintain oral traditions that detail ancestral hunting strategies and practice in the region. This project reviews all of these sources to contextualize the archaeological signatures of bison and tell the story of bison in Glacier, as well as some of the stories of the people who hunted them. The intent of this project is to provide an aid for heritage management and interpretation as Glacier National Park continues to explore options for reintroducing bison into the Park. The information presented here has been translated into a visual map-based medium to aid dissemination of information to a variety of audiences, contribute to broader management goals related to returning bison to Glacier, and provide a springboard for further research related to bison in the Northern Rocky Mountains. iii Contents Chapter 1: Buffalo in the Mountains .................................................................................. 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Project Goals ................................................................................................................... 5 Methods........................................................................................................................... 7 Oral Tradition.............................................................................................................. 7 Geodatabase ................................................................................................................ 8 Site Visits and Analysis ............................................................................................ 10 Underlying Theoretical Perspectives ............................................................................ 11 Community-Based Archeology ................................................................................ 11 Public Archaeology ................................................................................................... 13 Indigenous Archaeology ........................................................................................... 15 Why Theory? ................................................................................................................ 18 Chapter 2: The People ....................................................................................................... 20 An Introduction to the People of Glacier National Park ............................................... 20 A Note on Archaeological Terminology ....................................................................... 22 The First People: 12,000-7,500 B.P. ............................................................................. 23 A Changing World: 7,500-3,500 B.P............................................................................ 27 Emergent Complexity in the Late Archaic: 3500-1600 B.P. ........................................ 31 Cultural Specialization: 1600- 200 B.P. ....................................................................... 32 iv From Past to Present ..................................................................................................... 34 Chapter 3: The Bison ........................................................................................................ 36 The First Bison .............................................................................................................. 36 Bison and Humans ........................................................................................................ 38 Megafaunal Extinction .................................................................................................. 40 The First Bison in Glacier ............................................................................................. 42 Extinction and Evolution during the Altithermal .......................................................... 43 The Seasonal Round ..................................................................................................... 45 Summer ..................................................................................................................... 46 Autumn ..................................................................................................................... 49 Winter ....................................................................................................................... 50 Spring ........................................................................................................................ 52 Full Circle ..................................................................................................................... 54 Chapter 4: The Hunt.......................................................................................................... 56 Hunting Bison ............................................................................................................... 56 Before (and After) the Hunt .......................................................................................... 56 Songs ......................................................................................................................... 57 Dances ....................................................................................................................... 59 Iniskim ...................................................................................................................... 61 Paints ......................................................................................................................... 62 v Important People ....................................................................................................... 63 The Paleoindian Hunting Pattern .................................................................................. 65 Hunting Strategies ......................................................................................................... 69 Use of the landscape ................................................................................................. 69 The Surround. ........................................................................................................... 71 The Corral ................................................................................................................. 71 The Bison Jumps ........................................................................................................... 73 A Cooperative Endeavor ........................................................................................... 75 Bison Jumps in Glacier? ........................................................................................... 77 Hunting In Glacier ........................................................................................................ 78 Chapter 5: Bison in the Mountains ................................................................................... 80 Belly River ...................................................................................................................